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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, A special session of the legislature was called by |
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Governor Rick Perry on April 17, 2006, to respond to the Texas |
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Supreme Court decision in Neeley v. West Orange-Cove Consolidated |
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Independent School District, 176 S.W. 3d 746 (Tex. 2005); and |
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WHEREAS, The legislature responded by enacting House Bill 1 |
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(Chapter 5, Acts of the 79th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, |
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2006), which provides for increasing state aid to school districts |
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for the purpose of reducing school district maintenance and |
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operations taxes by 11.33 percent for the 2006 tax year and 33.33 |
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percent for the 2007 tax year with the understanding that further |
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state aid for the purpose of reducing school district taxes for |
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maintenance and operations would be forthcoming in subsequent |
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years; and |
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WHEREAS, House Bill 1 received overwhelming support in both |
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houses of the legislature, passing by a margin of 31-0 in the Senate |
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and 136-8 in the House of Representatives; and |
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WHEREAS, House Bill 1 establishes a mechanism for providing |
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significant relief from school district property taxes by |
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realigning funding for the public school system, specifically by |
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providing for increasing the share of funds from state taxes and |
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reducing the share of funds from school district property taxes; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The provision in House Bill 1 for substantially |
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increasing the state's share of public school funding reverses a |
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long-term trend of increasing reliance on local property taxes; and |
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WHEREAS, House Bill 1 calls for a reduction in school |
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district property tax bills in Texas by an estimated $7 billion |
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annually in fiscal years 2008 and 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, House Bill 1, by providing a mechanism for |
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significantly reducing school district property taxes, makes home |
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ownership more affordable for Texas families; and |
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WHEREAS, Funding the school district property tax relief |
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mechanism provided by House Bill 1 is essential to the promotion of |
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long-term economic growth in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Senate Bill 2, 80th Legislature, Regular Session, |
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2007, or similar legislation makes appropriations for the purpose |
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of implementing the school district property tax rate reduction |
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mechanism established by House Bill 1; and |
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WHEREAS, Appropriations made by Senate Bill 2 are separate |
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from and in addition to appropriations made by the general |
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appropriations bill, Senate Bill 1, 80th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2007, or similar legislation; and |
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WHEREAS, Appropriations made by the general appropriations |
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bill are subject to the constitutional spending limit for state tax |
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revenues not dedicated by the constitution, and appropriations made |
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from those sources in Senate Bill 1 or similar legislation are less |
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than the amount authorized by Section 22(a), Article VIII, Texas |
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Constitution; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That the |
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legislature finds that the existing need for lower school district |
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property taxes constitutes an emergency for the people of Texas; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature may appropriate state tax |
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revenues not dedicated by the Texas Constitution for the state |
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fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2009, in an amount not to exceed |
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$14,191,100,000 more than the amount authorized by Section 22(a), |
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Article VIII, Texas Constitution, with $14,191,100,000 being the |
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amount appropriated for the biennium by Senate Bill 2, 80th |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, or similar legislation making |
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appropriations for the purpose of funding school district property |
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tax rate reductions in accordance with Section 42.2516, Education |
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Code, as added by House Bill 1 (Chapter 5, Acts of the 79th |
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Legislature, 3rd Called Session, 2006). |